Headlines
Ekweremadu’s Assault: Ebonyi Gov, Dave Umahi Is Next, Says IPOB
The Indigenous People of Biafra on Wednesday said it had no regret attacking a former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekeremadu, in Nuremberg, Germany.
It said the next target would be the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, if he failed to retrace his steps.
An official of the group, China Edoziem, said this in a statement made available to our correspondent in Awka, Anambra State.
It described those condemning the attack on Ekweremadu as sycophants and “Fulani apologies”.
The statement reads in part,” The Indigenous People of Biafra, led by Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, will continue in the avowed pursuit of our right of existence as a people, independent of the evil enclave called Nigeria.
“We’ll be unhindered, unperturbed and unfazed by the cacophony of morally bankrupt manufactured voices that appear to rally round one of them, Ike Ekweremadu.
“Going through the vomit of some of these faceless sycophants with no iota of influence on the ground in Biafraland apart from dishing out meaningless drivel in the name of press statements, one is confronted with the mindset of a people living in a Banana Republic in which all forms of freedom of expression is brutally repressed and mediocrity extolled to high heavens.”
The statement added, “It is imperative to state that in making that choice, there will be no differentiating between the subservient Biafran politician(s) who see nothing and hear nothing wrong when Biafraland is under Fulani military siege and their caliphate masters that dehumanise, abduct, torture and murder at will.
“Very soon, we shall show Dave Umahi, the governor of Ebonyi State that IPOB has not only the capacity and reach but also the power to achieve our set objectives and fulfil our promise to the living and the dead.
“We are waiting for them and their trumpeters in all the civilized nations of the world. The story of their humiliation will become a subject of study in foreign institutions. Our struggle has shifted to the international arena where every eye will be watching and taking note”.
Meanwhile, the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council, has said the attack on Ekweremadu was a wake-up call for all corrupt and ’unrepentant’ Igbo leaders.
The President-General of the youth group, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, said this in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement read in part, “Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide observed that tension is building up in many quarters in the South-East as many Igbo leaders had hurriedly cancelled their trips abroad over the recent harassment and mob action against a respected Igbo son and politician, Sen Ike Ekweremadu, at the New Yam Festival at Nuremberg Germany recently.
“ONYC pleads with our angry Igbo youths and agitators to shelve any planned violent mob action against Igbo leaders here in Nigeria and abroad at the moment and wait to see how many leaders will turn a new leaf as we feel the anger in the air.
“But Ekweremadu’s assault is a wake-up call for the unrepentant Igbo leaders who had betrayed the confidence of our people in governance. Igbo leaders should be mindful of their utterances, actions and decisions on issues affecting the Igbo.”
The Punch
United States Representative Riley Moors has said further military strikes against Islamic State-linked militants in Nigeria could follow recent operations ordered by President Donald Trump, describing the actions as aimed at improving security and protecting Christian communities facing violence.
Moore made the remarks during a televised interview in which he addressed U.S. military strikes carried out on Christmas Day against militant targets in North-west Nigeria.
The strikes were conducted in coordination with the Nigerian government, according to U.S. and Nigerian officials.
“President Trump is not trying to bring war to Nigeria, he’s bringing peace and security to Nigeria and to the thousands of Christians who face horrific violence and death,” Moore said.
He said the Christmas Day strikes against Islamic State affiliates had provided hope to Christians in Nigeria, particularly in areas affected by repeated attacks during past festive periods.
According to U.S. authorities, the strikes targeted camps used by Islamic State-linked groups operating in parts of north-west Nigeria.
Nigerian officials confirmed that the operation was carried out with intelligence support from Nigerian security agencies as part of ongoing counter-terrorism cooperation between both countries.
The United States Africa Command said the operation was intended to degrade the operational capacity of extremist groups responsible for attacks on civilians and security forces.
Nigerian authorities have described the targeted groups as a threat to national security, noting their involvement in killings, kidnappings and raids on rural communities.
Moore said the strikes marked a shift from previous years in which attacks were carried out against civilians during the Christmas period. He said the U.S. administration was focused on preventing further violence by targeting militant groups before they could launch attacks.
U.S. officials have said the military action was carried out with the consent of the Nigerian government and formed part of broader security cooperation between the two countries. Nigeria has received intelligence, training and logistical support from international partners as it seeks to contain militant activity.
Moore had previously called for stronger international attention to attacks on Christian communities in Nigeria and has urged continued U.S. engagement in addressing extremist violence. He said further action would depend on developments on the ground and continued coordination with Nigerian authorities.
Nigerian officials have maintained that counter-terrorism operations are directed at armed groups threatening civilians, regardless of religion, and have reiterated their commitment to restoring security across affected regions.
World-renowned boxer Anthony Joshua on Monday survived a ghastly road accident in Makun, Ogun State.
Eyewitnesses report that the incident occurred along a busy highway of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.
The vehicle carrying Joshua, a Lexus Jeep with the number plate, KRD 850 HN, reportedly collided with a stationary truck under circumstances that are still being investigated.
Joshua reportedly sustained minor injuries, while two persons were said to have died on the spot.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has cautioned that any attempt to hurriedly re‑gazette Nigeria’s new tax laws could undermine parliamentary oversight and set a dangerous constitutional precedent.
Atiku’s warning follows public scrutiny over reports that the Tax Reform Acts signed by President Bola Tinubu differ from the versions passed by the National Assembly. Lawmakers, including Abdussamad Dasuki, raised concerns that the alterations could pose serious legal and constitutional risks, noting that they were not backed by any constitutional framework.
In a statement on X, Atiku said the directive to re-gazette the Acts effectively confirms “that the gazetted version of the Tinubu Tax Act does not reflect what was duly passed by the National Assembly,” calling it “a grave constitutional issue.”
He emphasized that under Section 58 of the 1999 Constitution, a bill only becomes law after passage by both chambers, presidential assent, and gazetting.
“Gazetting is merely an administrative act of publication. It does not create, amend, or validate a law,” Atiku said, adding that any post-passage insertion, deletion, or modification without legislative approval constitutes forgery rather than a clerical error.
Atiku further warned that rushing a re-gazetting while legislative investigations are ongoing “undermines parliamentary oversight and sets a dangerous precedent,” stressing that the only lawful approach is “fresh legislative consideration, re-passage by both chambers, fresh presidential assent, and proper gazetting.”
The former vice president clarified that his position is not opposition to tax reform but a defence of constitutional order.
“This is a defence of the integrity of the legislative process and a rejection of any attempt to normalise constitutional breaches through procedural shortcuts,” he said.
The Federal government has denied wrongdoing, insisting the laws will take effect as scheduled on January 1, 2026, while the National Assembly has directed the issuance of Certified True Copies of the Acts to ensure clarity and accuracy.
